14 Healthier Holiday Cookie Recipes Under 100 Calories

Yes, it is real to indulge in holiday cookies without guilt! You can make your own batch of yummy lower-calorie treats using healthier ingredients. From classic sugar cookies to biscotti to mint meringues, all of the recipes below are festive and flavorful, while containing fewer than 100 calories per cookie (evaluated using Verywell’s Recipe Nutrition Calculator). Check out these 14 healthier cookie ideas – we guarantee you’ll be a holiday party hero! 

14 Lower-Calorie Holiday Cookie Recipes

1. Strawberry Rhubarb Thumbprint Cookies (83 calories per cookie)

Holiday cookie recipes are easy to come by. But gluten-free with only six grams of sugar per cookie? That’s a Christmas miracle. The secret: Both the cookie base and filling are sweetened with maple syrup, making the recipe free of refined sugar. Make your batch even more festive by coating the cookies in shredded coconut before pressing, filling and baking.

Recipe: Alexa Schirm / Life by Daily Burn

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2. Acorn Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies (40 calories per cookie)

These tasty autumn treats take a little prep time, but people will go nuts over them. Serve them at your next party, pack them into the kids’ lunchboxes, or squirrel away a few for when you’re craving something satisfyingly sweet yet diet-friendly. Plus, you don’t even have to bake them! 

Recipe: Perry Santanachote / Life by Daily Burn 

3. 3-Ingredient SunButter Cookies (94 calories per cookie)

Think of these as a nut-free alternative to classic peanut butter cookies. They only require three ingredients — sunflower seed butter, sugar, and an egg. While the classic recipe is perfect as it is, a sprinkle of sea salt on top or a few chocolate chips stirred into the dough will kick them up a notch.

Recipe: Erica / Coffee and Quinoa 

RELATED: 12 Crave-Worthy Peanut Butter Recipes You Haven’t Tried Yet

4. Oreo Cookie Cookies (98 calories per cookie)

Love Oreos? This recipe’s for you. Each bite contains tiny bits of America’s Favorite Cookie. This vegan recipe calls for an egg replacer, but one tablespoon of ground flaxseed combined with three tablespoons of lukewarm water will work just as well.

Recipe: Celine Steen / Have Cake Will Travel

5. Healthy Sugar Cookies (75 calories per cookie)

Wintertime wouldn’t be complete without classic sugar cookies. A typical sugar cookie comes in around 113 calories, but these soft and buttery treats let you indulge without the guilt since they feature less sugar and a vegan butter spread.

Recipe: Katie / Chocolate Covered Katie

RELATED: 15 Cocktails Under 150 Calories (and Better Than Vodka-Soda)

6. Oatmeal Snickerdoodles (82 calories per cookie)

You can whip up these delicious, vegan-friendly and gluten-free snickerdoodles in just 20 minutes. The oats provide a hearty, nutty taste, while cinnamon and sugar bring the sweet factor. 

Recipe: Lauren / Oatmeal with a Fork

7. Coconut Macadamia Biscotti (84 calories per cookie)

No cookie beats biscotti for dipping in (spiked) hot chocolate. The recipe calls for macadamia nuts and dried coconut, but feel free to add other mix-ins you love.

Recipe: Jessie / Fairing Well

8. Low-Carb Oreo-esque Protein Cookies (90 calories per cookie)

No carbs, no problem. IMO (that’s Isomaltooligosaccharide) syrup is the secret ingredient in these magically low-calorie cookie sandwiches. The high-fiber, fat-free and sugar-free syrup helps sweeten the cookies while also giving them structure.

Recipe: Anna Sward / Protein Pow

RELATED: 15 Healthy Dessert Recipes You’ll Love (150 Calories or Less)

9. Coconut Sweet Potato Cookies (98 calories per cookie)

A cookie healthy enough to eat for breakfast? We’ll take it. Mashed sweet potato and a bit of coconut flour make up the bulk of these cookies. Rolled oats, shredded coconut, pecans and dates add texture and flavor. These cookies are healthy enough to eat in the a.m. and also, a wholesome option for any holiday cookie basket.

Recipe: Julia Mueller / The Roasted Root

10. Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cookies (85 calories per cookie)

How are these soft and chewy cookies so healthy? Mashed banana keeps things moist, allowing you to reduce some of the butter or oil. The ‘naners also add some sweetness and help create a thick, chewy texture when combined with whole-grain rolled oats.

Recipe: Emily Miller / Life by Daily Burn

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11. 3-Ingredient Gluten-Free Mint Meringues (76 calories per cookie)

When protein-packed egg whites take a light, airy texture, they can’t be beat. The meringue cookie base (whipped egg whites and white sugar) is extremely versatile, meaning you can easily add almost any ingredient to the mix. This recipe gets in the holiday spirit with chocolate and mint mix-ins, which lend a refreshing yet indulgent flavor.

Recipe: Erica / Coffee and Quinoa

12. Apple Oatmeal Cookies (91 calories per cookie)

Fresh apples give great texture and a subtle sweetness to these seasonally appropriate bites. Using unsweetened applesauce in place of butter helps keep the fat content to just three grams per cookie. Leave out the recommended walnuts and these cookies will be 91 calories each.

Recipe: Emilly Miller / Life by Daily Burn

RELATED: 3-Ingredient Party Snacks That Are Seriously Delicious

13. Vegan and Gluten-Free Almond Lace Cookies (89 calories per cookie)

This vegan take on classic Florentine cookies will please vegans and non-vegans alike at your dinner table. The key: creating a lacy texture with the sliced almonds and sugar mixture. Make them a bit more special by adding a drizzle of dark chocolate.

Recipe: Angela Liddon / Oh She Glows

RELATED: 25 Insanely Delicious Chocolate Recipes That Are Still Healthy

14. Tagalongs (46 calories per cookie)

We can’t think of a better time than the holidays to break out some homemade Girl Scout cookies. This low-calorie take on tagalongs (aka peanut butter patties) contain zero trans fat — unlike the boxed versions. You can thank the wholesome ingredients like almond flour, pure maple syrup, coconut oil, and vegan chocolate.

Recipe: Katie / Chocolate Covered Katie

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Originally published December 2015. Updated December 2017 and December 2021.

All images via Shutterstock

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